The Legislature finds that there exists between Maine and its neighboring Canadian Provinces of New Brunswick, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland, a broad range of shared experience, cultural traditions, social and economic conditions and common goals, including shared recognition of the urgent need to strengthen human services, to effectively use and conserve our natural resources and to pursue economic development within a framework of responsible environmental regulation. [PL 1977, c. 605, §1 (NEW).]

The Legislature further finds that Maine enjoys with these provinces an increasing level of cooperation, commerce and other interaction as the opportunity and need for this interaction are increasingly recognized by both public and private officials. [PL 1977, c. 605, §1 (NEW).]

The Legislature declares that it attaches the highest importance to the pursuit of common goals and to the further strengthening of relations in all areas between Maine and the Canadian Provinces. [PL 1977, c. 605, §1 (NEW).]

The Legislature further declares that one of the best ways of pursuing these common goals and of strengthening these relations is to encourage understanding and cooperation between itself and the legislative bodies of the Canadian Provinces and thus between the citizens of Maine and those of the Provinces of Canada. [PL 1977, c. 605, §1 (NEW).]